Grants for social enterprises look to break cycles of disadvantage

SBS Australia

14 hours ago

Roya Moeen never saw herself being a head chef of a popular restaurant. Fleeing the Taliban from her home in Afghanistan, she came to Australia in 2014. Her experience working was mainly as a housewife for her family. But then, three years ago, she found an opportunity to work at Kabul Social. "I can, because I'm [a] good chef at home and [then I] come here, after that, I started work. First time I'm very scared. You know, after that, slowly, slowly, I'm better." Now the head chef, she says it's been an empowering experience. She leads a kitchen which donates meals to those in need, one in Sydney and one in Afghanistan for every meal sold. "I can look after my family and I work outside and independent. You know, I feel independent. It's so good for everyone." This kind of initiative has been backed by the federal government and is now receiving a $120,000 grant. Minister for Social Services Tanya Plibersek even had her own go at Afghan cuisine. Plate it Forward, which runs Kabul Social, is just one of the organisations receiving funding aimed at helping marginalised communities. Ms Plibersek says it's hoped social enterprises like this will have a long-lasting impact. "We want to invest a small amount of money so these terrific organisations can help more people help themselves. We know the impact of intergenerational disadvantage, and we want to stop it by investing with refugee women, with First Nations communities, people with a disability. By investing early, helping them become financially self-sustaining, we know that we'll change their lives and we'll change the trajectory of their families' lives." David Hetherington is the CEO of Impact Investing Australia. He says better employment outcomes help address the disadvantages experienced by marginalised communities. "We want to see the funders and the kind of supporting ecosystem, who makes it possible, get stronger and deeper and ultimately, the goal is to address that disadvantage, that marginalisation that exists in the Australian community, and bring more and more and more people into mainstream employment and the mainstream economy." Shaun Christie-David is the CEO of Plate it Forward Hospitality. With four other restaurants as well, he says this is an opportunity for Plate it Forward to grow even further. "This represents so much to us. I think where we're seeing is the incredible strength and talent of our team, accelerating in ways that are beyond what we would have dreamt of. So this allows us to move into more venues, more impact, more employment and great opportunities and outcomes for our incredible people from the under-represented communities that we serve." For Roya, cooking is deeply meaningful to her. And it's a career she hopes to pursue further. "I feel so good and I want a big restaurant!"